English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Stagden Cross

Early-attested site in the Parish of High Easter

Historical Forms

  • Stakenden 1249(p),1284 Ct 1329 Rental
  • (Ouer)stakendon(e) ib.
  • lytyl Stagdon 1498 MinAcct 1595 Lancs 1608 Rental
  • Stagden 1595 Lancs
  • Stagden Cross 1805 O
  • Staggin Cross 1777 C

Etymology

Stagden Cross [stægn] is Stakenden 1249(p), 1284Ct , 1329Rental , (Ouer )stakendon (e )ib., 1376, Stakyndon 1337, lytyl Stak (e )don 1354–77Ct , 1422MinAcct , Stak (e )donstyle , Stak (e )doncrosse 1504–6, Gretstakdongat 1498, Berewykestakdon 1504Ct , lytyl Stagdon 1498MinAcct , 1595 Lancs, 1608Rental , Stagden 1595 Lancs, Stagden Cross 1805 O, Staggin Cross 1777 C. These forms are similar to those for Stagsden (PN BedsHu 43) where, however, forms in Stag - are earlier and those with medial n rarer, whilst we have a series in Staches -. It is possible there was an OE  name Staca , 'a man as thin as a stake,' although nicknames are less common in OE than in ON. v. dun . Cross refers to the cross-roads here. For Berewyke - cf. Barricks infra 484.